(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flat panel display and a drive method thereof, and more particularly, to a flat panel display with a large screen and high resolution and a drive method thereof.
(b) Description of the Related Art
There is an ever-increasing effort of research to improve existing flat panel displays and develop new flat panel display configurations. Flat panel displays include the widely used liquid crystal display; plasma display panels, which are emissive like CRTs and so have an excellent viewing angle and color performance; and electroluminescent displays, which have a significantly better refresh rate than the CRT.
Flat panel displays typically include a flat panel on which a matrix of cells formed between two glass substrates is arranged, a PCB module for driving the flat panel, and a case for protecting and integrating these elements. In the LCD, the cells are not realized through luminous elements but instead through shutter switches. Accordingly, a back light unit must be provided to the rear of the liquid crystal panel.
The PCB modules in flat panel displays receive and process R, G, B image data and synchronization signals, then provide image data, scanning signals, and timing control signals to the flat panel. Accordingly, the PCB module acts as a drive circuit to enable the flat panel to perform the normal display of computer images, television images, etc. The PCB module is realized through a plurality of PCBs and a plurality of flexible printed cables (FPCs), which are used for the transmission of signals between the PCBs.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a prior art flat panel display, and FIG. 2 shows a PCB module of FIG. 1. As shown in the drawings, a PCB module for driving a flat panel 40 at a relatively low resolution (e.g., the SVGA standard of 600 by 800 pixels) includes a main PCB 10 for receiving R, G, B image data and synchronization signals, and processing the data and signals using a timing controller, which is a FPGA (flat pin grid array) custom IC, and for processing the image data and various control signals in a manner suitable for the structure of the flat panel 40; a row driver PCB 20 to which there is attached a row driver IC TAB (tape automated bond) 90, the row driver PCB 20 supplying scanning signals to a row signal wire according to row driver control signals received from the main PCB 10; and a column driver PCB 30 to which there is attached a column driver IC TAB (tape automated bond) 100, the column driver PCB 30 receiving image data and control signals processed in the main PCB 10, and supplying the image data to the flat panel 40. Further, an FPC 70 is provided to transmit row driver control signals 50 and 51 generated by the main PCB 10 to the row driver PCB 20, and an FPC 80 is provided to transmit column driver control signals 60 and 61 generated by the main PCB 10 to the column driver PCB 30.
However, with reference to FIG. 3, when image signals are supplied to a column signal wire 120 of the flat panel 40, a control unit operates by receiving control signals generated in a timing controller T-con of the main PCB 10 of FIG. 1. A D/A converter and a buffer amp operate according to control signals of the control unit such that image signals corresponding to gray voltages (V0-V63) are output to the column signal wire 120. Accordingly, even with a sufficient current drive capacity of the D/A converter and buffer amp, a higher processing speed screen and a high resolution display, such as UXGA (1200 by 1600), QXGA (2048 by 1536), and QSXGA (2560 by 2048) distorts and delays the signals, because of the inherent resistance and stray capacity increase in the row signal wire and column signal wire 120. Therefore, the signal effectively received by the device that controls the optical performance is distorted and only a portion of the intended signal is received. Such problems cannot be easily compensated in a big screen and a high resolution display and are summarized below.
(1) Problems of large screen size and drive signal distortion
Currently produced flat panel displays employ virtually no drive technologies that can solve signal distortion. Currently, the display is designed to minimize the resistance of metal wiring, or to minimize stray capacity load stemming from structural characteristics or thin film materials that comprise pixels. This increases the effective load, which is actually used for image display, minimizing the signal distortion.
In conventional methods, it is difficult to reduce the wiring resistance to the desired level because of the material characteristics and the process limitations of the wiring material. On the other hand, development of the new wiring materials also requires technologies for the manufacturing processes. This also requires additional research and manufacturing equipment. Further, it is not possible to reduce stray capacity past a certain amount through changes in pixel structure because of necessary structural conditions that must be satisfied, as well as design and manufacturing limitations.
Because of such restrictions, it is difficult to realize a high resolution and a big screen display (an over 20-inch, UXGA standard display in the case of LCDs, and an ultra-large screen, high resolution display in the case of PDPs). Large screens commonly used these days also experience an inferior picture quality and a defective final product (beyond acceptable levels) as a result of signal distortion. Although pixel wiring short-circuit can be repaired, such signal delays and distortions cannot be repaired.
2) Compensation of drive signal distortion in prior art
At present, there are no drive technologies that compensate for or otherwise solve the problem of drive signal distortion in flat panel displays. A big screen display that may suffer visible degradition of image quality, may employ a dual scan drive method. The dual scan drive method drives a screen by dividing the screen into two in a scanning direction. Another dual drive method may apply the same image signals simultaneously to the signal wires on both sides of the panel.
The dual scanning method requires a signal processing circuit to convert the conventional signal into dual scan type signals, since image signals of an image signal transmission unit of a computer, television, etc., are single scan type signals. Such a circuit requires a large-capacity graphic data memory. As the resolution increases, the memory requirement also increases substantially. Further, since in dual scanning the drive signals are applied on both sides of the flat panel with a time difference, it is necessary to supply data signals and control signals to both sides of signal wires. This complicates the structure of the flat panel display, which negatively affects production. Finally, the divided screen in the dual scan drive method may be perceptible to users, thereby deteriorating overall picture quality.
The dual drive method may not need a signal processing circuit to convert single scan signals into dual scan signals like in the dual scan method, but the need of simultaneously applying drive signals to the signal wires on both sides of the flat panel complicates overall structure. Further, although there is the advantage of circumventing errors caused by a short in the signal wires since identical image signals are supplied to both sides of the panel, drive time with an increased resolution are only minimally saved, since the flat panel is basically a single scan type.
The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flat panel display and a drive method thereof, in which the flat panel display has a large screen and a high resolution, in which the problems of a complicated structure and high cost associated with a dual scan method or a dual drive method are solved, and in which a compensation circuit and a method thereof are provided for significantly reducing signal delay and distortion.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a flat panel display and a drive method thereof. The flat panel display comprises a flat panel including a signal wire arrangement for transmitting image drive signals to pixels, a row signal wire arrangement for transmitting scanning signals, and a column signal wire arrangement for transmitting image signals; a master drive output unit installed on one of four sides of the flat panel, the master drive output unit generating output signals for driving pixels and supplying the output signals to a corresponding signal wire arrangement; and an slave drive unit installed on a side of the flat panel opposing the side on which the master drive output unit is installed, the slave drive unit supplying compensation signals to the signal wire arrangement before the output signals of the master drive output unit are charged to thereby enable the easy charging of the output signals of the master drive output unit.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a flat panel display comprising a flat panel including a signal wire arrangement for transmitting image drive signals to pixels, a row signal wire arrangement for transmitting scanning signals, and a column signal wire arrangement for transmitting image signals; a row-side master drive output unit installed on one of four sides of the flat panel, the row-side master drive output unit generating row-side output signals for driving pixels and supplying the row-side output signals to a row signal wire arrangement; a column-side master drive output unit installed on one of four sides of the flat panel, the column-side master drive output unit generating column-side output signals for driving pixels and supplying the column-side output signals to a column signal wire arrangement; a row-side slave drive unit installed on a side of the flat panel opposing the side on which the row-side master drive output unit is installed, the row-side slave drive unit supplying compensation signals to the row-side signal wire arrangement before the output signals of the row-side master drive output unit are charged to thereby enable the easy charging of the output signals of the row-side master drive output unit; and a column-side slave drive unit installed on a side of the flat panel opposing the side on which the column-side master drive output unit is installed, the column-side slave drive unit supplying compensation signals to the column-side signal wire arrangement before the output signals of the column-side master drive output unit are charged to thereby enable the easy charging of the output signals of the column-side master drive output unit.
According to a feature of the present invention, the slave drive unit is one or more IC.
According to another feature of the present invention, the slave drive unit comprises an on/off switch for shorts or opens according to control signals to either transmit or cut off signals; a three-state buffer converter for outputting one of three voltages according to control signals; an slave buffer amp for converting signals received from the three-state buffer converter to signals of the same voltage but amplified by a predetermined current gain, and transmitting the converted signals to the on/off switch, the on/off switch either transmitting or cutting off the signals as described above; and an slave control unit for generating the control signals to control the on/off switch and the control signals to control the three-state buffer converter, and for outputting the control signals at predetermined times.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, the control signals generated by the slave control unit are generated by a timing controller installed on a master PCB of a PCB module.
According to still yet another feature of the present invention, the signal wire arrangement is a column signal wire.
According to still yet another feature of the present invention, the three voltages of the three-state buffer converter include two different DC voltages, and a floating non-voltage.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides an slave drive unit of a flat panel display having a signal wire arrangement transmitting image drive signals to pixels, a row signal wire arrangement transmitting scanning signals, and a column signal wire arrangement transmitting image signals, an slave drive unit of the flat panel display, the slave drive unit being installed on a side of the flat panel opposite a master drive output unit, and the slave drive unit supplying compensation signals to the signal wire arrangement before output signals of the master drive output unit are charged to thereby enable the easy charging of the output signals of the master drive output unit.
The drive method for a flat panel display, in which the flat panel display includes a signal wire arrangement for transmitting image drive signals to pixel electrodes of the flat panel display, a row signal wire arrangement for transmitting scanning signals, a column signal wire arrangement for transmitting image signals, and a master drive output unit and an slave drive unit for supplying image drive signals to one of the signal wire arrangements, comprises the steps of supplying and charging compensation signals by the slave drive unit installed on a side of the flat panel opposing the side on which the master drive output unit is installed, the compensation signals being supplied to a corresponding signal wire arrangement before the output signals of the master drive output unit are charged to thereby enable the easy charging of the output signals of the master drive output unit; and supplying output signals for the driving of pixels by the master drive output unit before and following the supply of the compensation signals.
In another aspect, the drive method for a flat panel display, in which the flat panel display includes a signal wire arrangement for transmitting image drive signals to pixel electrodes of the flat panel display, a row signal wire arrangement for transmitting scanning signals, a column signal wire arrangement for transmitting image signals, and a master drive output unit and an slave drive unit respectively installed on a row side and a column side and for supplying image drive signals to one of the signal wire arrangements, comprises the steps of supplying and charging row-side compensation signals by the row-side slave drive unit installed on a side of the flat panel, the row-side compensation signals being supplied to the row signal wire arrangement before the output signals of the row-side master drive output unit are charged to thereby enable the easy charging of the output signals of the row-side master drive output unit; generating and supplying by the row-side master drive output unit, which is installed on a side of the flat panel opposing the side on which the row-side slave drive unit is installed, row-side output signals for driving pixels before and following the supply of the row-side compensation signals, the row-side output signals being supplied to the row signal wire arrangement; supplying and charging column-side compensation signals by the column-side slave drive unit installed on a side of the flat panel, the column-side compensation signals being supplied to the column signal wire arrangement before the output signals of the column-side master drive output unit are charged to thereby enable the easy charging of the output signals of the column-side master drive output unit; and generating and supplying by the column-side master drive output unit, which is installed on a side of the flat panel opposing the side on which the column-side slave drive unit is installed, column-side output signals for driving pixels before and following the supply of the column-side compensation signals, the column-side output signals being supplied to the column signal wire arrangement.